A meeting of National Council JCM Staff Side with 7th Pay Commission was held on 09.06.2015 at New Delhi. It was last meeting of 7th Pay Commission with JCM. JCM had already submitted memorandum regarding common issues of Central Government Employees to 7th CPC on 30th June, 2015. JCM submitted memorandumin two parts. Part one deals with Pay, allowances, advances, facilities, benefits et., Part II is concerning retirement benefits, viz Gratuity, Pension, Medical facilities etc.

Today delegation of NC JCM Staff side went for final deliberations regarding issues of central government employees and pensioners with 7th CPC. Detailed discussion was held on the following points:-

1. Principles of Wage Determination: Staff Side insisted that 7th CPC should adopt the need based minimum wage formula at the minimum level;the intrinsic value of the assigned job at the intermediary level; the necessity to keep the relativity both at horizontal and vertical level and the need to provide a reasonable salary for the top bureaucrats, taking into account the perks, privileges, benefits, allowances and concessions that go with the posts. 7th Pay Commission gave positive response on this.

2. Minimum Wage & Ratio of Minimum and Maximum Pay:- JCM urged that the Need-Based Minimum Wage concept to compute pay at the minimum level may be adopted. Pay Commission should take into account the outside rates to determine the pay package at senior levels of bureaucracy but maintain the ratio between the minimum and maximum at 1 : 8 (MTS to Secretary to Govt. of India). Staff Side insisted that minimum pay at lowest level of Group C staff should be Rs. 26000. 7th Pay Commission gave positive assurance on this.

3. Proposed Pay Structure and Rate of Increment:– Staff side demanded open- ended pay scales to ensure that no employee stagnates without increment. We have suggested only 14 Pay scales. Minimum of which is Rs. 26000 and Maximum Rs. 78000 for Group C employees. We suggested that the multiplication factor (26000/7000 = 3.7) may be applied uniformly in all the cases to arrive at the revised pay in the new scales of pay. We also suggested that the benefit on promotion, therefore, should be: two increments in the feeder cadre. 7th CPC agreed to act positively on this.

4. Career Progression: Grant five promotions in the service career:- The three time bound scheme of MACP instead of improving the situation has been found less beneficial and has therefore not gone to address the inherent problem of demotivation that has crept in due to the high level of stagnation.The discontent amongst the employees in the matter is of high magnitude today. The VII CPC therefore, should recommend that the cadre reviews are undertaken wherever not done to ensure five hierarchical promotions to all employees in their career on the pattern obtaining for Group A Officers. 7th Pay Commission assured to act positively on this.

5. Bonus:-Presently the PLB and adhoc bonus are calculated on the deemed provision that one’s total emoluments is only Rs. 3500/-. This is an absolutely irrational stipulation and must be removed. We request that the Commission to recommend to the Government to remove the said stipulation and grant the bonus on the basis of the actual emolument of the employee. 7th pay commission agreed to recommend our demand with positive note.

6. New Pension Scheme:-We requested VII CPC to review and recommend the scarping of NPS in the light of the observations made by Hon’ble supreme court that pension is a fundamental justify. We also insisted that compulsory imposition of NPS on employees has made it discriminatory and recommendation for scrapping NPS and the PFRDA Act may be made. 7th Pay Commission was very much sympathetic.

7. Pension and other Retirement Benefits:-Staff side demanded that the amount of pension must be enough to enable a pensioner to live free from want with decency, independence, and self-respect and at a standard equivalent at the pre-retirement level. We also urged pay commission to examine the principles which should govern the structure of Pension and other retirement benefits, including revision of pension and granting parity between past and future pensioners. 7th CPC assured positive approach towards pensioners.

8. Parity in pay scales – We demanded that, where recruitment rules, training etc. are same, they should be brought into one singular grade/pay scale. Giving example of parity to Stenographers with the Ministry and Subordinate Offices. Similarly, in other common categories like Rajbhasha, Paramedical Staff etc.

9. Insurance Scheme was discussed(earlier also) in detail. It was told by the Pay Commission that something substantial should be done in this regard; and also to consider the issue of enhanced gratuity, for which 7th CPC was seen willing to consider the same.

10. Educational Assistance – we have demanded for Educational Assistance for two children, instead of two eldest children, and also to pay the same for Post Graduate and Professional Courses. Pay Commission has agreed to consider it up to Graduation level.